Brasilia/Brussels/Cairo: All-party Parliamentary delegations on Tuesday effectively communicated India’s firm message of zero tolerance towards terrorism to several countries, stressing that New Delhi can talk to Islamabad if it takes significant action against the terror infrastructure that is visible everywhere in the country.
“You (Pakistan) crack down on this infrastructure of terrorism that is visible everywhere in your country. Then, of course, we can talk,” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an all-party delegation to Brazil, said while talking to news agency.
“We can talk to them in Hindustani. We can talk to them in Punjabi. We can talk to them in English. There is no problem in finding common ground with Pakistan. The problem is finding a common vision for decency, for peace. We want to be left in peace, to grow and develop. They don’t want to leave us alone. They want to harass us,” he said.
“They want to cut us this whole bleeding to death India by 1,000 cuts. They’re not going to bleed to death so easily. Better forget that idea,” he added.
Asked whether nations have been recognising India’s stance against terrorism, Tharoor said his delegation has been to four nations -- Guyana, Panama, Colombia and Brazil- so far and “this has been very clear in all the countries we’ve been to”.
“I would say in all four countries, we’ve had a very, clear success, if that’s the word, I don’t like to boast of success. That’s for others to judge. But we have got our message through very clearly, including to those who may have had some misunderstandings,” he said, referring to Colombia.
Earlier, Tharoor said Colombia withdrew a statement offering condolences to Pakistan for the loss of lives following Indian strikes in response to the Pahalgam attack after his delegation explained Islamabad’s relentless support to cross-border terrorism.
The delegation held a highly productive meeting with Senator Nelsinho Trad, President of the India-Brazil Friendship Front and President of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. It also called on Amb Celso Amorim, Head Adviser of the Special Advisory to the President of Brazil, and discussed India’s position of zero tolerance to terrorism.
In London, the delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad concluded its high-level engagements, meeting with UK government ministers, parliamentarians, party leaders, think tanks, and India friendship groups. with agency inputs